


A Hungry Ache

by rhodrymavelyne



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:48:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22835032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhodrymavelyne/pseuds/rhodrymavelyne
Summary: In a session with Bedelia Du Maurier, Hannibal considers the hungry ache he gets when he sees both Will Graham and Abigail Hobbs, a need he hadn’t realized he had.
Relationships: Bedelia Du Maurier/Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	A Hungry Ache

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after Fromage during the first season when Hannibal has admitted to Bedelia Du Maurier that he wants Will as a friend. I don’t own Hannibal, but for the last several months, it has owned me.

Hannibal Lecter closed his eyes, found himself recollecting his last meeting with Will Graham and Abigail Hobbs. Abigail had looked at Will with frightened, yet clear blue orbs while he gazed back in equal innocence, almost seeming to be drawn into her fear. Both of them were so inexperienced and horrified by the emotions generated by the recent violence, yet blossoming amidst the blood like wildflowers. 

Hannibal gazed at them, feeling a hungry ache at their stricken faces. This man, this girl could be the family he, Hannibal Lecter had never possessed. He hadn’t dwelled on his lack of such a fundamental thing, not since Mischa died. At least he’d tried not to. He certainly hadn’t wanted to go looking for such a thing, no matter how important it was to so many of his patients, the various people around him. Not until he’d met Will Graham and Abigail Hobbs. Now he found himself wanting them, needing them. Needing to be needed by them. He could still analyze, marvel, and savour the emotion, even while in the grip of it. 

In many ways Hannibal Lecter was as virginal as Will or Abigail in discovering this need within himself.

He opened his eyes to regard his psychiatrist. “I’m hungry, Bedelia.”

Dr. Du Maurier raised her head in sharp acknowledgment of the informality, the breaking of the barrier of formality between them. “What for?”

“Will Graham makes me hungry. He and Abigail Hobbs.” He studied her cool, slightly bemused expression. “They make me aware of what I lack.”

“And what is that, Hannibal?” She let her head tilted to one side, a stray blonde hair resting against her cheek. So out of place, so at odds with her impeccable appearance. Once more, Hannibal found himself wondering what it would be like to eat her, once more silently acknowledging that he needed her too much to do so. 

No. He would only eat her if she tried to abandon him. Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier was too important to the stability he maintained to lose. 

“Family. Or perhaps a need for connection similar to family.” Hannibal folded a hand upon his knee. “I was unaware of how detatched I was from life until Will Graham’s eyes darted away, avoiding mine. Until Abigail Hobbs’s grew cloudy while she slipped into unconsciousness.” He met his psychiatrist’s cool blue gaze. “They need me, Will and Abigail. Their need gives me a function I’ve been sadly lacking.” 

“Don’t impose your own needs upon them, if they’re important to you.” Bedelia studied him in silent appraisal. “Both Will Graham and Abigail Hobbs are in emotionally fragile states, which would be easy to manipulate.”

“Where does manipulation end and help begin?” Hannibal met Bedelia’s stare, pushing the boundary, the seams of the person-suit she’d perceived with this question. “One might argue your statement is an attempt to manipulate me into denying my needs.” 

“It’s only too easy to argue that what you want is a need and to justifiy it.” Bedelia raised her chin slightly. “Be careful you don’t confuse the two.” 

Hannibal smiled a little at this. Confuse? Too often want and need were one and the same for him. 

It wasn’t something he was ready to confide in Bedelia Du Maurier, at least not yet. He’d already pushed her with his little informality. Time to back off a bit. 

At least for today.


End file.
